Daddy's Little Girl
by TweetyPie82
Summary: What would happen if Nick Knight had a daughter to keep out of trouble that seems to follow her around all the time? Introduction of my FK character. FINI Please R
1. Default Chapter

Daddy's Little Girl

Part 01/04

Some lawyer stuff to discuss: First of all, I give my permission to Mel to post on the Forever Knight Fan Fiction Page and Anita to post on her FKFanFic2 site. Second, I do not own most of the characters. Jim Parriott owns Nick, Natalie, Donald Schanke, Janette, and LaCroix. These characters I am borrowing for my own enjoyment, and hopefully yours too. I, myself, do own Nichole Ann de Brabant Knight and David Howard Bell, thou. So please ask before using them. Any resemblance to anyone mortal, dead, vampire, or dhampir is purely coincidental. For those of you who just skipped over this part and read the story, the name of the song in this story is "Shining Star" by the Backstreet Boys. (I know some of you out there did do it, I have done it too.) :·&

I have not been to Toronto, so please excuse me if my landmarks are not real or in the right place. Flashbacks are titled correctly, with 'Flashback' and 'End of Flashback'. Everything that is in apostrophes '...' are the characters' thoughts, and those words that are in parentheses (...) are translations to the French language (unless otherwise noted). :·

Enough chit-chat, on with my own private little world... -- -- -- (Symbol for Lori Yates song "Black Rose". :-))

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Daddy's Little Girl

Part 01/04

She was on the school playground, near the fence. Today she didn't have lunch with David, so she had nobody to talk to. She had heard a car door slam rather hard behind her, so she had turned around to see what the noise was all about. One teenage boy stood alone in the middle of the street, and facing a black hot rod. Three more teenage boys had climbed out of the car and were walking toward him. The four guys were wearing gang colors on their person. The three from the car were wearing red bandannas, but the fourth had on a blue bandanna. She knew what was about to go down, but could not turn away. From what she knew of police work, if she did turn her head no one would see what would happen.

"What do you think you were doin' with my babe?" One of the boys from the trio asked the outsider.

"I was scorin' with her. What do you think I was doin'," the outie replied forcefully.

"Well, looks like we are goin' to have to teach you Bulls a lesson you won't forget," the same boy replied.

"My homies won't let you get away with anything you Titans might do to me," he said in a rather straight forward fashion. The three Titans had pulled out .38 calibers with silencers on the barrels. The Bull didn't look scared. "Go on shoot me. My homies will avenge me, you Sons of Bitches."

She stared in horror as a dozen or so bullets tore into his torso, certain that a few had hit a vital spot. When the boy fell dead on the ground, two of the shooters picked up the body and carried it to the dumpster. The third one acted as a look out for them. The boy looked strait at her and yelled, "Hey Jaime! That girl saw us! Let's get outta here!" He alerted the two, who now had deposited the body in the dump.

"Well, get her. Find out who she is and kill her," Jaime had informed him. By now, she had now ran inside the school building. She knew she had to tell someone, but who could she call? Her father is a homicide detective, but he sleeps like the dead during the day. The bell rings to go back to class, she would have to tell him this evening. On the way to her locker she ran into David.

"Hi, David. Do you mind coming over to my place after school?" She asked him, knowing he would be grateful not to go home.

"Yeah. Sure. Are you okay? You look scared," he answered her. David liked the way her blond hair fell about her shoulders. He knew that she had known of his father's abuse toward him, and had her promise not to tell her father.

"I just witnessed something that I can't talk about here. I have to tell Dad, you know how he sleeps during the day. I doubt he would remember me calling him at this time of the day. I have to get to world history, I can't afford to be late today. We're taking a major test." She knew she would pass the exam, but the homicide she just witnessed bothered her.

At the loft, Nick couldn't sleep since lunch. He had been up all afternoon, hoping for a phone call. He tried to get some sleep, but the feeling that something was wrong wouldn't let him rest for work. Finally about three o'clock, he went back to sleep. At three-thirty, she and David stepped into the loft. She went straight upstairs to deposit her backpack and purse in her room. Then, she went back downstairs to be the polite host for the only boy in her life. "Can I get you anything, David? A pop or water perhaps?"

"No thank you. Did you notice that black hot rod following us here?"

"Yeah, I did. Now they know where I live."

"What do you mean 'they'? Nichole, did you see something at lunch that you are not telling me about? You know you are going to have to tell your dad about it, if it is this bad."

"To answer your first question, 'they' are the Titans. For the second, if I tell you, your life would be in danger. You had better go home, my dad is about to wake up. Plus I have some homework to do, and I have to study for my finals."

"Those exams are in December, it's only September. They are still three months away."

"You can never be too prepared. Unlike you, I'm not a crammer. I don't wait until the very last minute. Now would you like me to see you to the door?"

"No, I know my way out. Besides, you don't need to study. You know just about everything already."

"Oh, and David?"

"Yeah, Nichole?"

"Be careful, please. I don't want to see you get hurt." Nichole loved the way his brown hair flowed about his head like a surfer's would. His big blue eyes showing his love for her safety. She watched David close the door to the lift. The grinding of the motor signaled his departure, she looked at the clock on the mantle. It read five-thirty. She knew that the sun would set in about thirty minutes and that her father would wake soon thereafter. She needed to tell him about the incident before anything happened to her.

Nichole went upstairs to her room to start on her homework. She was so involved in her world history lesson, she didn't hear her father's alarm clock go off. What made her realized what time it was, is that her father poked his head in to check on her. He was dressed for work in his usual black attire. His pale skin and blond hair contrasting with his choice of color. "Oh, good evening, Dad. I didn't hear you get up. My mind was on my homework and something else."

"What was that, Princess? What else was on your mind," he questioned his only child.

"Well, I was alone outside at lunch today and saw..." She was interrupted by the phone ringing downstairs.

"Hold that thought, Princess. I have to get that. I'll be right back." He went downstairs, and Nichole followed him. He picked up the phone and answered, "Knight here... What?... Another homicide? Where?... Yeah, I know the area. That's where Nichole attends school... Sure thing, Cap. I will be right over." He had hung up the phone, and turned around to face his daughter. "I have another..."

"Case. I know. Somebody found him, didn't they?"

"How did you know the victim was male? I know you can't hear both sides of the phone conversation," he questioned her.

"I saw the whole thing happen, Dad. That is what I was trying to tell you before the phone rang." She answered.

"Well, grab your coat. You're coming with me this time. If I don't find any witnesses, you would have to do," he replied to her statement.

"You won't find any other witnesses, Dad. I was the only one who saw anything, or at least heard the whole conversation between them." She said while getting her coat out of the closet. Both of them walked into the lift that would take them down into the garage where the Caddie is waiting for them.

Arriving on the scene, Nick had tried to get both of them in the perimeter of the scene. They were stopped by a uniformed officer. The 5'9", black hair and green-eyed man placed a hand in front of them. He told Nick, "Sorry Detective, but she can't come any closer. Policy regulations prohibit it. She will have to wait here."

"Could you call Captain Stonetree over here?"

"One minute Detective. I'll see if he is busy." With that the officer left the two standing alone, giving Nick the opportunity to get any other details that she could give him at this time.

"Did the suspect see you, Princess?"

"First, it is 'suspects', and second, yes 'they' saw me." She answered him.

"What do you mean 'suspects'? There was more than one?"

"Yes, Sir. Three to be exact. I was over there by the fence," Nichole pointed to the spot she was standing earlier today, "watching everyone else, when I heard a car door slam rather hard behind me. I turned around to see what the noise was about."

"Here comes Captain Stonetree and Officer McCain." He stopped his questioning before they could hear the conversation between them.

"Hi, Cap."

"Knight, what is she doing here," Stonetree asked Nick to explain Nichole's presence at the crime scene.

"Well, Cap, this is my daughter, Nichole Knight. She is the key witness to the murder." Nick could see the shock in Stonetree's eyes as he said those words. "Cap, is everything all right?"

"I didn't expect our key witness to also be the daughter of one of my star detectives. If she were anything other than that, I would have to pull you from this case. So now I won't have to worry about the money to protect her, or to put her in a safe house. You have a state-of-the-art security system, and plus she lives with you. That puts a relief on my protection budget." Stonetree had sighed those words out. "Now get a statement from her and have Schanke talk to her. It looks like this was between two gangs."

"It was Captain, but it was over a girl. It was sort of like a private conformation," Nichole supplied the information. "I already had told Dad how many suspects were involved, but I had not given any descriptions yet."

(Meanwhile at the Titans' hang out.)

"What did you find out on that girl that saw us today," Jaime asked the Titan that had been the look out at today's shooting.

"Her name is Nichole Knight, and lives in an old warehouse on Gateway Lane. Her old man is Metro's star homicide cop, and he would most likely be the one investigating this murder. Do you still want to do her," he replied to Jaime.

"Yeah, I still want her done. I want it done as soon as possible," Jaime had told the Titan.

"Jaime?"

"Yeah?"

"Her old man has a state-of-the-art security system. There's no way to get in without them knowing it. We might have to use Einstein for this one."

"So be it. I'll make the call to him."

"What time during the day do you want her done?"

"When she would most likely be alone. On the way to or from school would be right."

The conversation end suddenly, when gunshots sounded outside of the hangout. Then shouts from other Titans point out that the Bulls are here for their revenge on their murdered homie. More gangsters die in this gunfight, but the major players get out without a scratch on their person.

(At the loft, later.)

Nichole had repeatedly told both her father and his partner, Donald Schanke, what she saw at lunch earlier that day. She reported to Schanke that she heard the conversation, because the parties had spoke rather loudly. In reality, they were talking in a normal volume for a private conversation. Nick knew this, but he could not tell his partner the fact that his daughter had inherited her father's keen hearing. So keen, that she could hear Schanke's heart beating in his chest. After questioning her for most of the night, Nick had to finally tell Schanke that Nichole needed to rest for school tomorrow. "Oh! And Schanke?"

"Yeah, Partner?"

"Would you mind being Nichole's chauffeur during school?" Nick had said the word 'chauffer' in his French tongue, as if the language was his native tongue.

"Sure thing, Knight. I didn't know you spoke French so well." Schanke agreed with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I don't mean take her to school and drop her off, and then pick her up and take her home. I mean take her to school, and stay with her during her classes. I could arrange it that you won't be questioned. I would do it if it weren't for my bloody allergy. I don't want her to be hurt or worse. Since she's my only child, you'd understand why I am over protective of her."

"Oh, all right. Are there any other languages that you speak, that I should be aware of?"

"I'm full of surprises. To answer your earlier statement, I spend a few years in France before I joined the force. Satisfied?"

Nichole snorted a chuckle at Nick's explanation for his French.

Nick gave her a dark look that said, 'Don't go there.'

With that she stopped suddenly. Best not to give away any secrets.

"Yeah, for now I suppose. Just keep her alive until we get them brought in. See you in the morning, Knight. What time should I pick her up?"

"About six o'clock." Nick said knowing that Schanke will not be there at that time, but will be there before six-thirty. "Bye, Schanke." Turning back to his daughter, he announced, "Time for bed, Princess. Tomorrow is Friday, so give Schanke a copy of your class schedule."

"Okay, Dad. Let me copy it real quick." With that, Nichole disappeared into her room and emerged a minute later carrying a piece of paper. "Here you go, Uncle Don. All you have to do is follow me around the school to get to the classrooms. I'm not very good at giving directions to others." She had adopted the garlic loving man as an only uncle, because her father has only one biological relative living, her.

"Thanks, Munchkin'. I will fine-tune my learnin' for tomorrow." He took the piece of paper as if it were a treasure chest full of gold and jewels.

"Knock it off, Schanke. You look like a bloody greedy thief going after the Hope Diamond." Nick said as if he was correcting Nichole's behavior.

"Not the Hope Diamond, Nick. This would be the next best thing."

"Now pray tell, what would that be?" Nick had placed his hands on his hips, looking strangely like the girl from clueless.

"Knowledge, dear Watson. Knowledge." Don was acting a lot like Sherlock Holmes. He even went as far as adjusting his imaginary pipe in his mouth.

"Would you two stop it? I swear, both of you are acting worse than most kindergarten children I know." Nichole now had the tone of the adult correcting her children's behavior. Both of them had now looked toward her.

"Ahh, Ma!" Nick and Schanke both had a dissatisfied look on their faces, like a child would after being corrected by the parent. Then all three of them busted out, laughing. Nichole and Don went as far as rolling around on the floor, exercising the laughter out of their bodies. Nick just stood there, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What am I going to do with the two of you," he questioned the two rolling bodies before him. Then, he shook his head again when they did not answer. "Okay, knock if off you two. Time for bed, Nichole. See you in the morning Schanke." When they did not respond immediately, "NICHOLE, SCHANKE, KNOCK IT OFF!" The two rolling bodies stopped suddenly, the loud, demanding voice had told them to stop or else there would be a very unhappy man. Nichole got up immediately, and disappeared into her bedroom to get ready for bed. Nick had wished Schanke a good night, and as the lift descended Nichole had emerged in her robe.

"Dad, do you need in the bathroom?" She asked Nick.

He just looked at his color of hair, and her mother's blue eyes on a child of 12 years old.

"Dad, you have all of my school pictures to look at, and admire your hair color and Mom's eyes. Let me repeat my question, do you need in the bathroom so that I may get my shower?" She did not know her mother, for she died shortly after her second birthday. Her mother had somehow made the mob mad in Buffalo, New York in the States, and she was killed in front of her. She herself had not lived with her father until her ninth birthday. Before that, she had been living in foster homes since then. She often wondered why did he take so long to get custody of her.

"No, Princess. You go ahead. You just acted like your mother would act, if I did that to her. She always had a sense of humor, good or bad." He sat down on the couch, with the look he always gets when he zones out. Nick was lost in the memory of the night that he and her mother met in Chicago. Nichole silently went into the bathroom and started the water.

Flashback

(Chicago, Illinois; September of 1981)

Nick had just arrived from the policy academy, and just whammied his way into the nightshift. There was a call for back up units to respond to a convenience store robbery in progress, and Nick was in the immediate area. When he arrived, most of the hostages were released. Only one remained. Nick could see the gun pointed at the woman's head as well as the fear in her blue eyes. He had to do something, so he used his vampire speed to enter the building undetected. Within a five minute span, Nick had unarmed the man, and whammied the woman. Accordingly, Nick still had time to get outside before anyone would know what had happened. He was called to escort the woman to her house and make sure she was settled, after they had arrested the suspect.

Before they had reached the woman's residence, she had regained her memory of the rescue. The woman turned out to be a resistor, and started to thank Nick for his services. By this time, Nick had pulled up in front of her house. He turned to look at her, and for the first time he noticed her hair color. He saw her flaming red hair was a mess, from being jerked around so much tonight. He also knew that LaCroix had taken his decade leave of him last week so she would be safe from him, but he didn't know about the enforcers. (Author's note: For those of you, who don't know about the enforcers, they are the vampire's police force. They enforce the vampire code, DO NOT BE DISCOVERED.)

Nick booked the rest of the night off, to stay with the frightened woman. They had gotten to know each other in three months. Then in January, LaCroix received an announcement, it read, "You are invited to come to the eloping of Nicholas de Brabant Chasez and Nancy Anna Chilton."

"Maybe I should cut my leave very short this time. Let me pay a visit to my favorite son, and my soon to be born granddaughter," LaCroix thought out loud to nobody in particular. With that, he flew up through the open skylight. As he flew out of his apartment in Gary, Indiana; the wedding invitation slowly floated to the floor of LaCroix's living room.

Back in Chicago, Nancy tells Nick that she is pregnant and due in September. Nick is shocked, happy, and scared at the news that his wife had just announced to him.

End of Flashback

Nick jerked back to the present, and focused his attention to the clock on the mantle. It read six o'clock, 'Time to get Nichole up and going,' he thought to himself. He went upstairs to her room, but she had already beaten him to the punch. Nichole was already up and dressed, she was in the process of making up her bed when her father had poked his head in to wake her up.

"Good morning, Daddy. Did you want to share your flashback with me? Since it concerns me also, or at least Mother." She had asked him to tell her about her biological mother on more than one occasion, but he just kept dodging the issue. It was as if he didn't want her to know something about her mother. "Daddy, it would help pass the time until Uncle Don gets here. If you don't want to tell me when and where you went to last night shortly before I got my shower, at least tell me about my mother. Like who was she? What was she like? Are her parents living?" She didn't know what to call them, because she had never met them. "What did she do for a living? Was she pretty? Do I look like her?"

Nick had gotten that far away look again.

Nichole had gathered some of her supernatural strength, and slugged him. "No. No zoning out, Daddy. Tell me. I want to know. You won't be able to keep dodging these questions forever. One of these days I will have to know. So you might as well tell me what I would like to know now, and get some of it over with." Her spill was interrupted by the security buzzer.

Nick sighed in relief. 'Saved by the buzzer. Way to go Schanke!' Nick silently cheered Donald on. He knew that she was right, he couldn't keep running from her questions. Nick couldn't bring himself to tell her that her mother was a witch, or at least came from a very old witching family. Nick though had not ran from her other questions concerning history, hell, he LIVED it. Nick loved it when she asked him those types of questions.

"Hey, Munchkin'. Ready to roll when you are." Donald had then leaned over on the side to whisper to Nick, "You owe me BIG time, but not that BIG. I happen to like her. Now, if it was paperwork, that's a different story."

"Uncle Don?"

"Yeah, Munchkin'?"

"Can we pick up my friend, David, on our way? It's raining. His dad refuses to take him anywhere, and a school bus does not go by his apartment."

"Sure Munchkin'. Where does he live?"

"Wait a minute." Nick interrupted the conversation. "Who is this David? How come I have never heard of him?" He drilled his daughter for answers even as his parental instincts clashed and working with the detective side of his brain.

"Daddy, out of all the times that I talked about him, you don't remember me telling you about him. You must remember the conversation about my friend liking art." Nichole said rather surprised. "Now do you remember? I am surprised at you, because you usually have a rather good memory."

"That's him? I thought his name was something else. I think both of you better go before you're late for school." Nick needed to think and sleep before tonight's shift begins.

Then, Nichole then told Donald where her boyfriend lived. She did not dare tell her father that they are going out. He would want to run a criminal background check, and a full report on their dates until he can trust him with his princess.

Nichole and Don said their byes to Nick, before they entered the lift. While on their way to Don's Chevy, Don was acting like he was a Secret Service agent. "Would you knock it off, Uncle Don? You sure are going to assure any doubts the Titans might have about me."

"Sorry, Munchkin'. I'm not used to playing bodyguard, it's usually your father that gets these assignments. Not me." Now they had gotten in the car, and were on their way to David's apartment.

Nichole was worried that when he left yesterday, the car had followed him home too. But she didn't tell them that, and besides she knew her father's temper would skyrocket if he found out that she has been letting him come into the loft when he was asleep.

Donald pulled in front of an apartment building built for the low-income middle-class citizens. "Do you mind waiting in the car, Uncle Don? I won't be long. It's just on the third floor, and the elevators are out of order. Besides, you'll be able to see me from the car on the third floor." She lied about the elevators, if David's dad sees a cop, then he won't let his son live to see another day.

Schanke hesitated, "Oh, all right. But be extra careful, Munchkin'."

"You're the greatest, Uncle Don."

"Don't you dare tell your father. He'll never let me hear the end of it, and then he'll kill me."

"I promise. I won't tell him." 'Besides, it would be just another secret added on to my list.' Nichole thought afterwards. 'One of these days I am gonna die of hypersecrecy,' she chuckled at the thought.

"What's so funny, Munchkin'?"

"Oh, nothing. Let me go fetch David." She just hoped that his father wasn't in one of his moods last night, where he would beat the living daylights out of him and then lock him in the closet for days at a time. Her hope had vanished when his father had opened the door, drunk. "I came by to pick David up for school, and don't you dare tell me that he isn't going with me. I won't accept that answer, Mr. Bell."

"So you're the Slut that my no good bastard son has been seeing." It was more of a statement than a question.

Nichole just stared at him, as if he had turned into an enemy. Then, her mind slipped into a flashback.

Flashback

(Toronto, Ontario; December of 1991)

"Nichole, you have shown traits of a vampire. You have just shown to me that you are capable of whammying people. I will teach you how to do it more properly. There are two types of mortal minds: Resistors and Nonresistors. First, we will learn how to whammy Nonresistors. You will need a 'lab rat' to test. Speaking of 'lab rats', here comes Schanke. He is a Nonresistor. In order to whammy a Nonresistor, you must look them straight in the eyes and capture their heartbeat. Then you may tell them what you want them to know or do. Try it on Schanke."

"Okay, Daddy. I'll try."

"You'll try what, Munchkin'?"

"Nothing, Uncle Don." Nichole looks Schanke in the eyes and captured his heartbeat. "You will go to the store and buy me a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream."

At that point, Nick said into her ear, "Now, you release him. Ask him if he would mind going to the store and buying you some ice cream. To release him, let go of his heartbeat and look away from his eyes."

Nichole stopped listening to Schanke's heart, and broke eyes contact. "Uncle Don, do you mind going to the store and buying me some ice cream?"

"Sure thing, Munchkin'. I'll be back in a moment."

"Thanks, Uncle Don. You're the greatest."

"No problem. I'll be back." With that Schanke left, and Nick turned to instruct Nichole some more on the fine art of whammying.

"Good job, Princess. Now we will move on to lesson two: Learning what happens when you try to whammy a Resisitor. You just do what you did to Schanke. We will try it on Nat. I learned the hard way that she was a Resistor, but what's done is done. Here comes Nat now, she's here for our weekly movie." Natalie then walks into the loft. "Hi, Nat. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Nick. What is it?"

"I'm teaching Nichole how to whammy people, and we are to the lesson about Resistors. Since you're the only..." Nick was interrupted.

"'Resistor I know.' Sure. I'll be the 'lab rat' for this lesson. This lesson only. Got it Nick?"

"Got it Nat. Just don't be too hard on her. After all she is just a child."

Nichole then repeated what she did to Schanke on Natalie, but her motivations were different. She said, "You will make Daddy let me eat the ice cream when Uncle Don gets here."

"Nice try, Sweetheart. I suggest that you try to reason with him yourself instead of me playing middleman or woman in this case."

"Daddy, how do I know who is a Resistor or a Nonresistor?"

"You don't. Not until you try to whammy them. Until you actually do, you better pray that the mortal is a Nonresistor."

End of Flashback

At that point, Nichole now realized that Mr. Bell would not let David go to school or her in the apartment to get David out. She has had enough of Mr. Bell's beatings place on David's body. She hoped that Mr. Bell was a Nonresistor. No she didn't hope, she prayed badly. She caught Mr. Bell's eyes and heartbeat. "You will let me come in, and then you will go to sleep until I leave the immediate area. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Good." Nichole agreed as she broke contact. "Can I come in, please?"

"Yeah, Bitch. You can come in." With that he opened the door, allowing her to come inside. "Now if you will fucking excuse me, I will go take a god damn nap."

"Fine. Where's David?"

"Why do you fucking care? He is a worthless, no-good use to anybody, son of a bitch. Nobody cares about his sorry ass, and nobody even loves that bastard. He's in the god damn closet, where he should fucking die."

"Fine. Now go take your nap." After, Mr. Bell had moved into his bedroom and closed the door. Nichole had moved to the closet, and started to try the handle. It was locked. "David, hang on buddy. I'll get you outta there." She had learned on her tenth birthday that she could move objects with her mind. Today, she didn't have time to look for the key to unlock the closet door. Now would be the time to use her 'handicap' to unlock the door, and get David out of there. Nichole had studied diagrams of locks before, so she knew how they worked. She willed the lock to open and let her in the closet. Once the lock had complied, she had to physically pick him up and take him to his room. "David, pack a bag. You're staying with me for a long while. I had enough of his beatings, I'm telling Daddy."

"I'm sorry he was rude to you, Nichole. Please don't tell your dad, but he is right about me, though. I am 'a worthless, no good use to anybody, son of a bitch.'" David had mimicked his father rather well. Nichole took one look at David's present physical state, and shook her head.

"David, listen to me. What he said is all a lie. Do you understand me? He doesn't know a thing about you."

"Name one person that cares about me, loves me, and thinks I'm useful. Just name one person, Nichole."

"You want me to name one person," it was more of a statement instead of a question. "I will give you a name of a person, me. I care about what happens to you. I think you're useful to me when I need somebody to talk to. I love you, David. I always have, and I always will." By now, Nichole had packed a bag with everything needed for a week or more vacation. She picked up the bag with one hand and held David up with the other, and walked out to the car.

"Hey! What took you so long, Munchkin'?" Schanke took a long, hard look at David in Nichole's arms. He decided something had happened to this boy in his partner's daughter's arms. However, he decided not to say anything, yet.

"Nothing that shouldn't delay us terribly. Don't tell Dad, but we're having company for A WHILE. I'll tell him tonight, he'll be VERY mad, though."

"Okay, Munchkin'. Hurry up, we're already late."

(That night at the loft.)

Nick had just woken up, and was getting ready for work. When he had emerged from his room, he saw a stranger in his living room with his daughter. They sat chatting like old friends, and Nick was furious, "HOW DID HE GET IN HERE?" Nick had bellowed at Nichole for allowing a total stranger in the loft without his permission. Nichole had stiffened at her father's angry voice. She had never heard her father yell before, not ever. She looked up at him, and could see the steam rising from the top of his head. Inside, Nichole cowered. Outside, she was calm.

"I let him in." Nichole barely whispered the statement, knowing very well he could hear her. "Will you let me explain his presence?" She looked down at the floor to avoid her father's glowing red eyes.

By this time, Nick had calmed down. He knew his daughter had a good reason for his presence and did not want to alert her guest about his condition.

"Yes, Princess. I will, but let me come down first." Nick walked down the stairs, he usually flew down. Once he was seated on the couch, he told Nichole to continue

"Daddy, this is David. David, this is my father." Both of them had nodded a hello to each other. "David is the artist at the school."

"So, you're the boy that Nichole keeps talking about. Do you draw?"

"Yes, Sir. I sketch better, than I draw."

"Daddy, there is something you should know. Don't get angry at me when I tell you."

"Yes, Princess? I won't get angry at you."

"David will be staying for awhile. He is having family problems. You see, his father abuses him. If you will just look at his back and the black eye, you have the physical evidence."

"Nichole, you promised not to tell him. Why did you?" David protested, upset at her for telling her father about his father's beatings.

"David, some promises have to be broken. I have kept this one for too long." Then, Nichole then turned to Nick. "Daddy, can he stay with us? Or will he go to a foster home? I would rather he stay here."

"I could arrange it where he could stay here. I have to talk to you privately, now." Nichole got up and followed Nick into the kitchen. Nick then lowered his voice so that only Nichole could hear him. "Are you going to tell him? You know if you do, you will have to protect him."

"Is it necessary, Daddy?"

"I'm afraid so, Princess. If he stays here, he will get suspicious and start asking questions. I know, I learned the hard way a long time ago." Nichole could only guess how long ago that could be.

"I guess I will tell him, I will need some help convincing him, since he doesn't believe in the supernatural. How about some effects, Daddy?"

Nick looked at her and saw a mischievous smile in her eyes, he never saw one there before. He decided to let her continue with her plan, whatever it may be.

"Okay, Princess. I will put on a show with special effects." Nichole nodded an approval, and they made their way back over to the living room. Nick and Nichole had taken back their seats.

"Is everything all right? Should I find another place to stay?" David was wondering what they were talking about, was it about him? Or for his safety? He didn't know, but he wanted to find out.

"Yes, David. Everything is fine, and no, you don't have to find another place to stay. There is something I have to tell you, David." Nichole was wondering how he would take a dark family secret, an 800-year-old family secret, which she was about to reveal. "Whatever you do, don't be afraid."

"What could you tell me that could be more terrifying than my father, Nichole?"

"My father, David. At times, he is more terrifying than your father." Nick was quiet, and will continue to be until Nichole said something that will cause him to vamp out.

"From the way you talked about him, he sounds much nicer than my father. How could he be more terrifying than mine?"

"Well, you see, David. How should I put this? Oh, I know. I'll be direct. My father is a vampire." Nichole looked at David for any reaction to her statement, but found none. "David, are you all right?"

"You're kidding right? I mean, there can't be any vampires. Vampires are myths, legends. I don't believe in myths and legends."

"No, I'm not. He is a vampire. If you don't believe me, see for yourself." David looked at Nick, and saw him vamp out before his very eyes. At this point, the young man became scared and started to scream.

"Don't scream, David. Besides, nobody can hear you." Nick commanded with a lisp from his dropped fangs. David stopped before anything came out, and looked at Nichole. She was sitting next to him as if he was her only protector from others. She trusted him. Nichole could see the shock in his eyes as well as the hurt. Nick then looked up toward the skylight, in human appearance of course. Nichole started to look at the lift as the motor can to life. "Don't do anything harsh, either of you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir." Nichole and David answered in unison. LaCroix had landed through the skylight just as Natalie had stepped off of the lift. "Daddy, do you mind if I take David for a walk?"

"No, Princess. I don't mind, just be careful. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Let's go David, I need to talk to you. We'll be back in a few minutes Daddy." Nichole had to literally grab David and drag him to the lift, and away from the stares of LaCroix and Natalie.


	2. Chapter 2

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Daddy's Little Girl

Part 02/04

See disclaimers in part one. Lester's disappointment in discovering the secret of Stonehenge... Buy low, sell high. Send all unibombers, unwanted in-law's, and unwanted children to me. :-)

Once outside, David asked Nichole, "What is it that you need to talk to me about, Nichole?"

"David, I told you that Daddy was a vampire and in doing so, I have endangered us all. Promise me you won't tell anyone that I'm a dhampir." Nichole said sternly. She had a serious look that told the receiver, 'You do and you die.'

"I don't understand. What is a dhampir, Nichole?"

"Do you want the cultural definition or the plain Jane one?"

"How about both of them?"

"You surprise me David. The word comes from the Slavonic Gypsies, who had called their children that if they are born to a vampire. It is said that the male gypsy vampire had an unsatisfied need to have sex with his widow, sometimes it is possible that the woman becomes pregnant from this intercourse and gives birth to the child. Sometimes, in other gypsy groups, the child is called vampir, if the child is a male, vampuiera, if female, vampijerovic, or lampijerovic. Dhampirs are also hired to kill their vampire relatives, but since they are also half vampire they are untrustworthy. In other words, a dhampir is someone who is half vampire and half human or witch. Now I know there are some questions you wish me to answer. So, what are they?"

Nichole was interrupted by a whoosh of a vampire's arrival, followed shortly by another whoosh. She then grabbed David and pulled him into the shadows. She then motioned to David to be quiet, just then LaCroix then stepped out of the shadows across the alley.

Nick, looking very antsy, followed him. Once he saw who was in the alley, he looked very relieved. After LaCroix took to the sky, Nick looked around once more and said loud enough for anybody in ten-feet to hear, "Way to go Princess. But he'll be back, once he figures out he was tricked." Nick then took off after his master/father.

When Nichole was sure it was safe to resume, she pulled them out into the dimly lighted alleyway.

"Who was that with your father, Nichole?"

"That was LaCroix, my vampiric grandfather."

"Your what?"

"The vampire that made Daddy into a vampire, or Daddy's vampiric father."

"One more question right now: What was that about, Nichole?"

"My life, at least. Maybe yours too. I'm not sure. We better get back home now, before he finds out that he was tricked." With that, she led them back to the isolated warehouse in the old business district. She punched in the security code, and rode the elevator up to the second floor. The door opened to show them the loft, with Natalie lying on the couch. Nichole then walks up and stops an arm's length away. "No he didn't. I will stake him myself, and make sure he is dead this time."

"Nichole, what is wrong? She is just sleeping, it's not like she is dead."

"David, you can't smell the blood like I can. You can't hear her heart beat every time you are around her, I do. I can smell her apples and cinnamon blood, and I can hear her heart beating softly and it is fading. Just a few characteristics I inherited from Daddy."

"Okay, if I do believe you, how do you know it was a male who did it, not a female?"

"David, do you mind being quiet for a minute. I'm trying to call Daddy."

"Sure, Nichole." David shut up and let Nichole concentrate on her call. He didn't know how she was going to call him; she didn't have the phone in her hand. He looked towards the skylight and saw Nick literally fly down, no float down to the floor.

"What's wrong, Prince..." He stopped suddenly and looked down at Natalie. "Who did it? What did you see?"

"I don't know who did it, but I have a strong hunch who did, LaCroix. I didn't see anyone, we just got back ourselves."

"I'm taking her to the hospital, she needs a transfusion badly."

Nichole flinched as Nick said 'hospital'; she had been there and didn't like it at all.

Nick sees her reaction, "You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Thanks, Daddy. I still need to talk to David, our walk was interrupted." Nichole could see that her father was silently beating

himself up. She made a mental note to ask later.

Then, the vampire detective walked over to the couch, but Nichole had stopped him. "Did you feed well? I don't want you to lose control, and drain her."

"I'll manage, Nichole. She will be fine, if I get her some medical attention fast. You didn't trick him, though. He heard David's heartbeat, but he is very angry. What did you do? I could barely feel you, so I know he didn't feel you around at all."

Nichole looked down, he only used 'Nichole' when he was not in a good mood especially when it was her doing.

"Then I guess that means stay away from the club for a while, huh? I can't tell you what I did, it will take too long to explain and might kill Mommy if I did tell you now."

"Oh, all right. I will see you later. Lock everything after I leave. That includes the skylight." Nichole looked at Nick, and a smile crossed her face. "When I return, I will knock three times. So let me in if it's close to sunrise, okay?" He indicated.

"Okay, Daddy." Nichole said through a mischievous smile. With that, Nick picked up Natalie and flew through the skylight. When Nick had cleared the opening, she looked over to her guest and asked, "Wanna go for a 'ride'?"

David looked confused at Nichole's suggestion, "Sure. But you can't drive yet, you're only 12."

"Come here," she directed. He complies with her request. Then, she added, "Hang on tight. This is something else I inherited from Daddy." He held on to Nichole in what appeared to be an embrace, and looked down. Both of them are floating toward the roof, especially the skylight. Nichole stood still in mid air as she locked it, while holding David close to her body.

(At the hospital emergency room.)

Nick walks into the entrance carrying Natalie in his arms. "I need a doctor. She's been a victim of a knife attack." He catches a nurse's attention and orders her to get a doctor for the dying Natalie in his arms. The nurse said to follow her and place Natalie on the table to ready her for the emergency treatment. Nick walks back outside into the waiting room, listening to the soft music playing from the speakers in the ceiling.

"You're my shining star

That is what you are

There is no one like you baby

Angels everywhere

Everytime you're near

You will always be my baby

"Baby when you do the things you do

I wanna be close to you

'Cause I need to feel your every move, oh

Baby I can never say how much

I need your touch, I can't get enough

'Cause you know what to do to turn me on, yeah"

Nick thought on his relationship with Natalie, how she is his light of the darkness of his life. How much she means to him. As the song continues to play, Nick thinks some more.

"You're my shining star

That is what you are

There is no one like you baby

Angels everywhere

Everytime you're near

You will always be my baby

"Baby you're as close as close can get

And baby you know I'd let

Every single part of me be yours, ooh yeah

It doesn't matter if the phone might ring

'Cause I won't hear a thing

when I'm in your arms

'Cause you know what to do to turn me on

"You're my shining star

That is what you are

There is no one like you baby

Angels everywhere

Everytime you're near

You will always be my baby

"I've never been so satisfied

With anything in my entire life

'Cause you are doing everything so right

Oh, oh baby

I've never been so satisfied

With anything in my entire life

'Cause you are doing everything so right

Oh, oh baby

"You're my shining star

That is what you are

There is no one like you baby

Angels everywhere

Everytime you're near

You will always be my baby

"You know that I adore you

Wanna be there everyday for you

To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby

You know that I adore you

Wanna be there everyday for you

To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby

"You're my shining star

That is what you are

There is no one like you baby

Angels everywhere

Everytime you're near

You will always be my baby"

Nick listened as the song faded out. He made a conclusion as what to do now. He whipped out his cell from his coat pocket to make the arrangements. It was time to act upon this relationship. As Nick was replaced his phone back into the coat, it rang and he answered the call. "Knight here."

"Knight, where the hell are you? I've got the commissioner breathing down my god damn neck wanting to know what the fuck happened with the gangster we found dead last night. Do you have any wild idea about the motive on the killing?"

"Captain, I'm at the hospital. Natalie had been attacked by someone with a knife. All I know is what Nichole told me that she saw. I'll tell you later, here comes the doctor." Nick hung up the cell once more, and replaced it inside his coat. The man in a white lab coat approaches the doorway.

"Is there anyone here with Dr. Natalie Lambert?" Nick rose from his seat and approached the doctor. "Detective Nick Knight, I presume?"

"That is I, Doctor. How is she? May I see her?"

"Dr. Lambert is doing fine, Detective. You got her here just in time to save her life. We gave her a blood transfusion, that she badly needed. You may see her now, but she is unconscious. She is in room 1228."

"Thank you, Doctor." With that, Nick took off at a run getting to room 1228. If he stopped long enough to think about the room number, he would have a very unpleasant flashback. 'Now is not the time to have a flashback, Nick. So get a hold of yourself.' He told himself as he rounded a corner and found room 1220. He continued down the hall.

(Back at the loft.)

David and Nichole were sitting on the couch talking, David asking questions and Nichole answering them. "How long has your father been a 'creature of the night'?" David started to laugh at the statement.

"That's not funny, David. To answer your question, Dad was brought across in 1228. So to round it up to the nearest century, he's about 800 years old."

"What about LaCuckoo? How does he fit into all of this?"

Nichole started to laugh at what David called her grandfather, she knew he would be annoyed by the mortal but she couldn't help it. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. His name is LaCroix, and if heard you call him that you would not be alive right now." Then, she tensed. "I spoke too soon. What ever you do, don't say anything or move too fast. Understand?"

"I understand."

"Good." Nichole was interrupted by the door opening and closing. LaCroix steps inside the loft, he stared hungrily at David and Nichole. "LaCroix."

"Good evening, Nichole, Mr. Crockett. Where is your father at this moment?"

"Cleaning up your mess."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"The mess from your meal earlier tonight." Nichole waved her hand toward the blood pooled on the floor by the couch as well as the blood soaked cushions on it. "I haven't cleaned up the spillage yet."

"I didn't do such a thing."

"You mean you didn't drain Mom to the brink of death and left her on the couch to slowly die?"

A VERY SHORT Flashback

(Natalie's Birthday of 1995, Toronto)

Nick asked Natalie to watch Nichole while he attended some business with the community concerning his daughter. While Natalie was reading a book that she wanted to read for a long time, Nichole walks down from upstairs in her nightgown. When she spoke, Nichole startled Natalie, "Natalie?"

Natalie nearly jumped from her seat and hit the ceiling two stories higher than her head, "Geez, Nichole! Do I have to tell you what I tell your father?"

"What's that?"

"Make some noise like humans do. You inherited that ability of his, I see. What do you want to ask me, Nichole?"

"Do you think Mommy be angry if I call you 'Mom'?"

"No, I think she won't mind it at all. I think she knows that you love her and will continue to do so no matter where you are or how old you will become."

"In that case, can I? Call you 'Mom' that is?"

"Of course, Sweetie. You can call me 'Mom'."

"Thank you, 'Mom'."

End of A VERY SHORT Flashback

"No. I did no such thing towards Dr. Lambert." LaCroix had known for quite a while that she had called Natalie 'Mom'.

"If you didn't, then who did?" LaCroix didn't answer the question. Instead, he decided to change the subject.

"When your father comes back, tell him that I need to speak to him." LaCroix thought for a split second that he could bring her across, but it was only for a split second.

"Yes, Sir. I will tell him when he gets back." Nichole glanced David's way to see how he was handling this meeting. She had been taught since she was nine-years-old to respect the master vampire and her elders.

"I have not forgotten the instance in the alley earlier this evening. I have noticed how much you enjoy yourself at the Raven. So, in response to your little prank, you are not allowed in the establishment for six months."

"It wasn't a joke. It was a survival skill."

"Do not lie to me, child. I have a radio show to prepare for, so I bid you fare well and good evening. Nice to hear you again, Mr. Crockett." With that said, LaCroix left the loft.

"You okay, David?"

"Yes. Why did he call me 'Mr. Crockett'?"

"He must have been close enough to hear you call him 'LaCuckoo'. That's the only reason I can think of. There was a pioneer who fought in the Alamo. He was killed at that battle. His first name was Davy, short for David. His last name was Crockett. Before I forget, did the hot rod follow you home yesterday?"

"No, it wasn't there when I left. What did LaCuckoo mean by 'Nice to hear you again, Mr. Crockett'? I didn't say anything or make any noise."

"He was listening to your heartbeat. Everything that is alive, has a heart and beats. Each heart has a different rhythm to their heartbeats. Yours is different from mine." She was interrupted by the telephone ringing. Nichole answered it before the third ring. "Nick and Nichole Knight. That's father and daughter, not husband and wife."

"That security system your old man has installed won't save you, bitch."

"Who the hell are you?"

"You can call me your 'Big Pimpin Daddy', whore," the man on the other end said the sentence with a stutter. Or was that a slur she heard?

"I will ask you one more time, who are you?"

"Your 'Big Pimpin Daddy. I already told you that. That boy, David, is a 'no good use to anybody, son of a bitch!" Nichole now knew who it was.

"I'm letting you know, Mr. Bell, that you are not scaring me." With that out of her mouth, Nichole hung up the phone. She turned to David to tell him who that was, but before anything could come out of her open mouth, the phone rings again. "Nick and…"

"Nichole, it's me. Listen, a package should be delivered to the loft in a few days. If I don't receive it and you do, place it in the top of the coat closet. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Nichole wondered why her dad was sounding so happy.

"Nat's going to move in with us. I am hoping she will say 'yes' when I ask her."

"Why now? What..." Nichole didn't get to finish her question, because the phone went dead. "Daddy? Hello? Daddy are you..." A loud crash came through the glass windows. "Daddy! Help!"

(At the hospital.)

Nick was standing by Natalie's bed holding the phone. The connection was cut off in the middle of Nichole's question. He hung up, then dialed the operator. "I'm sorry, Sir, but there is no answer."

"Thank you." Nick hung up the phone. Before he could turn around, there was a loud yell inside his head. "Oh, God. No. Don't let Nichole be hurt." He briefly kissed Natalie and whispered, "I'll be right back, My Love. Princess is in trouble."

"Nick," Natalie whispered in her sleep, "go to her." Nick heard her words as he walked out the door and made his way to the front doors of the building. Once outside he took to the air to get to the loft in what he hoped would be in time.


	3. Chapter 3

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Daddy's Little Girl

Part 03/04

See my chit-chatter in part 1, right after Mary stabbed the soapy dish water after her husband drowned in the sink in it. Send all bloody knifes, sharp wooden stakes, and garlic soaked in holy water to me.

Nichole called out to David, "David! Stay behind me!"

Despite the warning, David didn't move fast enough as a teenaged boy snuck up behind him and held a six-inch knife to his throat.

She made her way over to where her father hung the family swords and retrieved the one she was taught to use for dueling.

"Don't do it or he dies. Understand?" The attacker holding David ordered.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" She asked, dropping the sword she was holding.

"Just your friendly neighborhood gangsters who are going to take you on a little trip. We are going down stairs into the waiting car. You are going to get in followed by him," he pointed to David.

"Okay. Just don't hurt him," she pleaded, desperate for anything to stall them. She felt her father's presence growing stronger very quickly. 'I've got to stall for about five minutes. That should be plenty of time to give Dad to get here.'

"Just do what we tell you and he won't get hurt," the teenager snapped.

"Why are you doing this? Who are you?" She inquired.

"You saw our homies murder that Bull yesterday. Now, start moving toward that door," the boy directed.

"You're the Titans?"

"No shit, Sherlock. You know what? You're a pain in the ass, Nichole." After she gasped, he laughed and continued, "Yes, I know your name."

"How?" She asked him, while mentally reminding herself, 'A few more minutes. Come on Daddy. Hurry up.'

'I'm almost there, Princess. Keep it up,' he assured her through their mental link.

"We got our sources, and we know how to use them," the punk stated.

Just then, Nick flew in through the broken window and landed in the mist of the scene.

All three boys looked his way. The one who was holding David barked, "Get him!"

"Daddy!" She called.

"Nichole, stay put!" She directed.

She started to move toward him.

The other boys pointed their .38 to her, forcing Nichole to stop suddenly.

"I said stay put, Nichole," Nick reiterated.

"Yes, sir!" Nichole replied. 'What do you want me to do?'

'Hypnotize the boy holding the knife at David's throat, I'll get the two pointing their guns at your head. Understand?' He directed.

'Yes, Papa,' she agreed.

The boys were getting tired of the silence during their telepathic conversation.

Nick turned on the first boy and worked his magic on him. However, the second thug somehow sensed what was going on. Lowering his gun to Nicole's left side, and he pulled the trigger.

When he pulled the trigger, Nichole heard the clanging of metal against metal. She moved to her left as the bullet tore through her right side of her chest. Nichole fell down in pain.

Nick grabbed his right side of his torso, "Nichole!" He screamed out her name and rushed to her side. 'How did she know to move out of the way?' He thought as he heard her heart beating strongly. "Nichole, are you all right?"

"Yes, Daddy. It doesn't feel any different from the previous ones, but I'll LIVE like always." She winced in pain.

"That's my princess. Now, lay still, Princess. I'll take good care of you." By now, the boys had dropped their weapons and had retreated out of the loft. David got a small minor bleeding scratch from the knife held at his throat.

"David, come here," Nick advised. When the young man had reached his side, the detective continued, pointed at the wounds on Nichole's back and torso "Apply pressure to her wounds." He ripped off both of his shirt sleeves, "Use this to apply pressure. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I do, but where are you going?" David inquired.

"After those boys. Just stay here with her. Call 9-1-1 immediately." He noted. With that, he took off after the gangsters. However, as he was leaving he removed his cell phone and dialed the station. "Captain, this is Knight, I spotted the murders at my place..." He was out of sight and hearing, for David anyway.

"Hang on, Nichole. I'm going to call 9-1-1," David told her.

"Don't call," she winced.

"Your dad said to," he argued.

"Look...I don't like hospitals. Listen to me, in the frig is a clear bottle with some thick red liquid in it. Bring it here and help me drink it. Okay?" She directed.

"Okay. I'll be right back." He walked over to the refrigerator and retrieved the bottle in question. He brought it back and opened it. "What is this stuff anyway?"

"It's a mixture of Daddy's and my blood. When I go like this," she held up her hand, "I want you to stop. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed. He tilted the bottle upward at his friend's mouth. She swallowed two to three times, and he watched as the wounds closed up. After her third swallow, Nichole held up her hand and David pulled the bottle away. "Wow. I wish I could do that!"

"Do what?" She wondered.

"Heal that fast!" He exclaimed.

"I usually heal much faster, but with gunshot wounds, stabs, or other major injuries I need a little bit of help," she elaborated.

"You mean just like a second ago?" He probed.

"Yes," she concurred.

"What did you mean by, 'It doesn't feel any different from the previous ones,'?" He pushed.

"Do you think this is my first time getting shot?" She retorted.

"Yes," he guessed.

"Actually...no, it's not. I was first shot about 24-48 hours of first moving in with Daddy. I've also been shot a couple times since then, too," she noted.

"Oh. So now, both of you are prepared for situations like this?" He asked.

"Yes, but I suggest you don't try it. Unless your mom or dad is a vampire," she advised.

"Like yours?"

"Yes, like mine. Now, we move on to the next question of tonight."

"What is that, Nichole?"

"Who was that drained Mom to the brink of death and left her on the couch to slowly die? And who is our mystery villain?"

"I gotch ya."

"First, we know that it was a vampire, or at least the vibration feels somewhat familiar to me. Second, it was male..."

"How do you know that is was a male? It could have been a female," he countered.

"One, females try to clean up after themselves somewhat. Whoever caused this..." She waved her hand toward the couch, "...mess never attempted clean it up. Second, females give off a different kind of vibration from a male. Now, to get back to our brainstorming of this mystery: It had to be someone with knowledge of this building." She tensed again as if a vampire or a 'Witch/Warlock', 'Wait a minute. Where did that thought come from?', was around. "David, come here. I don't know who it is, but his vibration is familiar."

An older man stepped out from the shadows of the loft.

"Who are you? What do you want?" She challenged.

"What is the matter, Nichole? Can't you recognize family?" The man said with a wicked smile that she knew all too well. Thanks to LaCroix.

"I only have grown on my immediate family. Someone like my father, Janette, or LaCroix." She said that with a smile across her lips. 'He doesn't feel like a vampire, but he fells like...Mother!' She thought pushing the new situation and her thought on it through the link she shared with Nick. "How do you know my name, Mister..." She demanded.

"Chilton, Brain Chilton. After all, I make it a habit to know all the names of my family."

'Nichole, listen to me. I haven't told you this before, because I was scared you would pursue your heritage. Although, your mother was a witch, she didn't like to practice the family traditional religion. I'll be right there, be careful. That man is dangerous.' Nick thought throughout his daughter's mind.

Throughout this encounter, David stood behind her, shifting uncomfortably at this meeting with the unwanted intruder.


	4. Chapter 4

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Daddy's Little Girl

Part 04/04

See my chit-chatter in part 1, right after a conversation between Pinky and the Brian that went something like this: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?" "I think so Brian, but how did they get that sailing ship inside the bottle with a little hole at the opening?". Send all grenades, nuclear missiles, liquid nitrogen, and plains that have failed to help you take over the world to me.

(Outside of the loft.)

As Nick was tracking down the boys that just made a mess of his humble home, he felt a sudden emotion through the bloodlink he shared with his only child and daughter, an emotion he hadn't felt from her in a long time: fear. A few minutes later, he received her message. He responded briefly, ending with, 'I'll be right there, be careful. That man is dangerous.' Having said that, he turned right around and headed back toward what was left of his loft. Entering through the broken window, he looked around the room. He saw David shaking visibly behind Nichole in the center of the room, both of them facing a tall man. The man appeared to be 25 years old. He had shoulder length brown hair, a nose that looked like he stole it from LaCroix, and thin lips that were shaped into a hair tight wicked smile.

She glanced Nick's way, and the stranger followed her line of sight.

"You know Nichole, we don't mix well with the undead," Chilton told her.

"What do you men 'we'?" Nichole was startled at statement after Brian had laid eyes on her father.

"I mean my family and I. When I mention 'my family', that includes you too," he slurred, proceeding to grab her. However, just before his hand made contact, he heard a growl such as from a deadly animal, coming from his left. 'The vampire,' he realized and his smile grew wider and made another grab at Nichole.

Nick saw as the stranger continued to reach for her after his warning growl. Now, he recognized the attacker. It was Brain Chilton, Nichole's wicked uncle from her mother's side! Brain has always followed the family tradition, including distancing himself from vampires. "Get away from her, Brain!" Nick grunted the command through clenched teeth.

"She belongs with me. She will not be tainted like Nancy!" Brian roared at Nick, furious at being ordered around. Nobody ordered him around, not his mother or father, not his siblings, nobody and he certainly was not going to start just because some dirty, filthy, blood-sucking demon of the night said so. He pulled Nichole tighter against his body.

"Daddy! Don't let him take me away! Daddy, please!" She screamed toward her father while trying with all her mortal and immortal strength to break free from her uncle's grasp. When that did not so the trick, she turned to her telepathic abilities for help. There was no way in hell she was going to be separated from Nick again. It happened once and she didn't like it one god damn bit. She entered Brian's mind easily and forced him to release her. However, what she found in his head scared her like hell.

She could see her emotion plastered in Nick's eyes for only a second. After she had been released completely, she grabbed David and dragged him behind the couch out of the way of the upcoming battle that she knew was about to take place. Not to be disappointed, just as both of them ducked behind the couch, her father flew at Brian.

"I protect my family from people like you, and that includes Nichole!" Nick spat, pummeling his opponent with lethal blows. After beating up Brian for a while, an unseen force separated him from the other, pushing him back suddenly and with great force.

She looked up as he flew backwards over her head and slammed into the refrigerator, denting it lightly and breaking a bottle or two upon impact. Then she felt something else: excruciating pain.

David asked her what was wrong.

"Dad, he is in pain and needs my help," she stated. She told herself that the pain wasn't real. It was Nick's. Once she had gotten the pain under control, she crawled over to where she had seen Nick land. She shook him gently, "Daddy, are you okay? What do I do to help you?" She watched his face for a response. He suddenly opened his eyes. They were gold tinged bordering on a blood-red hue. He started to go for her neck. "Daddy, what are you doing?" She asked, backing away from him. 'Something's wrong!' She thought. Her eyes wide, she had seen him like this once. He had been possessed at the time. "Daddy, it's me. Nichole, your daughter." When he didn't respond, she heard the most wicked laugh she had ever heard.

"What's the matter, Nichole? Scared because 'Daddy' can't recognize his own daughter? Perhaps I can help for a price that is," he crowed with a smile that said 'Victory and Satisfaction'.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You, Bastard! I demand that you release him this very minute!" She roared at the wicked man across the room. She was sure she saw him shake for a brief moment. Her mouth went from a tight thin line to a wicked smile she saw her grandfather do on occasion. 'He's really scared of me!' She decided to put on a show for him. Now she realized everything is afraid of her, from demon to this man or 'Warlock'. 'Wait a second! Where did that word come from?' How amusing that thought was! She concentrated all her anger and hatred toward the man that had done this horrible thing to her father, and focused it on the knife drawer hoping Nick had sharpened at least some of them.

The man had answered her with a simple answer. "No. I don't think so."

She forced all the knives in Brian's direction, every last one of them flying by his head. Each one giving him a hair cut or a shave. She stood there watching him flinch at her attack. "You told me 'NO'! I'll show you 'NO'! I said release him, NOW!" She thundered, she caught a movement in the corner of her eye. 'David! I forgot he was here! I bet he scared shitless of me now. Damn it!' She thought of him.

'She has a temper that could get me killed!' Brian recoiled. He might have been evil, but he sure as hell didn't have a death wish! Looking at his niece, he mused, 'Gods, how much she looks like her mother when she is mad. No doubt about it, she's the one.' He knew he couldn't let her stay with Nick. But, on the other hand, if he didn't undo the spell he placed on her father she could kill him if she wanted. "Very well, my dear. I shall do as you suggested." He uttered a spell under his breath so softly that Nichole couldn't even hear it if she tried with her sensitive hearing.

His reaction surprised her. She was sure she was going to have to push him further to get him to consider following her command. All of a sudden, she heard a whimpering sound behind her, "Daddy!" She turned around and ran to help her father in anyway she could.

Nick remembered beating the crap out of Brian before he flew across the room and blacked-out. 'What is wrong with me? I usually don't do that,' he thought on what happened shortly before. When he regained consciousness, he was across the room from where he should be, but shortly before he blacked-out, the last thing he remembered was Nichole calling to him. Before he could respond, he just simply blacked-out. "Nichole!" He hoarsely whispered the name of the person central to his thoughts. Next, he felt an arm wrap around him and help him to his feet.

"I'm here, Papa." She turned toward her unknown uncle. "Who the hell are you?"

"Princess get me something please. Explain to David what just happened along with myself," he whispered hoarsely.

She moved him over to the couch and sat him down. She returned to the refrigerator and opened the door. Carefully estimating the damaged bottles, Nichole retrieved two bottles of human vintage. They were the only bottles not broken at the impact. She gave the bottles to Nick and told him what happened after he hit the frig door. She had purposely left out the part about throwing the knives at Brian's head, he has not seen the wrecked wall yet. At the end of her story, Nichole started to cry. "What's wrong? Come here, mon enfant fille." (my baby girl)

"Je n'aime pas, Papa." (I don't like it, Daddy.) Nichole answered him while crawling into his lap.

"Quel est tu n'aime pas?" (What do you not like?)

"Quand tu combat." (When you fight.)

The conversation in French between father and daughter, or rather Nick and Nichole, confused David and Brian.

"Why?" Nick switched the conversation to English before it got too much out of hand. After all, she was born in the USA and need to speak her mother tongue. Plus, Nick had not taught her very much French.

"I'm scared."

"Why are you scared, mon enfant fille?"

"I'm afraid that your opponent will get very angry and do something that they will regret later."

"As in what?"

"Like bonding you in titanium and leaving you for the gamma rays, or decapitation, or worse."

"How much worse?" He probed, trying to guess at what 'worse' was.

"A stake, and I don't mean the one with the A1 sauce." That caused a laugh from the males of the room. Even when she wasn't in a good mood, she could make others laugh.

'I like her, but I can't separate them from each other. Nichole needs Nick.' Brian thought to himself, realizing that he will have to apologize to his brother in law for his behavior. "Nick?"

"Yes, Brian?" The detective replied. Nick had finished off both bottles by now, but his voice was filled with hatred.

"I apologize for my behavior of the past as well as tonight."

Nick got up, after pushing Nichole gently out of his lap, walked over to where the coffee table, now a pile of small toothpicks, had stood. He reached into the middle of it and pulled out the remote to the shutters. He closed the shutters before replying to Brian's statement, "I accept, but don't come near my daughter again. Understand?"

"You don't have to fear me." Brian replied.

"Nobody has answered my question. Who are you exactly, Mr. Chilton?" She interrupted them.

"Princess, this is your Uncle Brian. Brian, this is Nichole, your niece." Nick properly introduced the two family members. "That boy over there," Nick waved his hand toward David, who was now under the table and had been since the knife attack, "is David."

The phone also wanted a proper introduction, for it rang at that moment. "Excuse me, I have to get that." Nick said as he picked up the phone. "Knight here."

"Knight, I got some good news." Captain Stonetree sounded relieve in Nick's ear.

"What's that, Cap?" The detective continued.

"Well, remember that call you gave us earlier tonight?" Not waiting on an answer from his star detective, the captain continued, "We followed your lead and guess what? We caught those kids responsible for that murder by the school where Nichole attends."

"That's great, Cap. Thanks for letting me know." With that, Nick heard Captain Stonetree hang up, and he did so as well. He turned around to finish introductions.

"Nichole, what was that?" David asked before Nick could open his mouth. He also pointed to the object of his question, the knives stuck in the far wall.

"NICHOLE ANN!" Nick bellowed at his daughter as he saw the display.

'Uh oh. I did it this time...' Nichole moved out of Nick's reach quickly and tried to reason with him. 'I should tell Dad what EXACTLY happened while he was out of it.' "Daddy, I can explain..." her statement turned to a scream as there was a snap of a belt across her butt.

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I would like to thank a couple of people. First I would like to thank my best friend, Krystal, for giving me the idea of calling LaCroix 'LaCuckoo'. I would like to thank her and Desiree for telling me I have talent and should become a writer. Next comes my beta-reader, David J. Duncan, who helped me put together my grammar, spelling, and ideas. Then there is sweet Molly, who told me that I 'made a research blunder (Nick's loft is on Gateway Lane, not Lockwood Road)' and who was one of the first ones to have the gut to tell me that 'your grammar and punctuation are atrocious'. Thank you Molly for having the nerve to tell me such things. Last but not least, there is you. Without you, I wouldn't have written this piece or something like it. Thanks to all of you out there.


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